EU Vessels

Mr. Rosindell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Community vessels, by nationality, received Community grants for modernisation while flying non-EU flags of convenience in the last year for which figures are available. [19579]

Mr. Morley:
EU rules state that Community grants for modernisation are available only for vessels on the Community fishing vessel register.

Farrowing Crates

Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the phasing out of farrowing crates for sows; and if she will make a statement. [19764]

Mr. Morley:
We have, for a number of years, funded research directly or indirectly related to the welfare of the sow and her piglets, from farrowing to weaning. A key issue which has emerged from this research is that changes in farrowing systems to improve sow welfare can frequently have an adverse effect on the welfare of the piglets. As a result, we are not yet able unreservedly to recommend free-farrowing systems for widespread commercial adoption. Our research, and that of others, continues to seek a solution to this problem. Our aim is to reach a position where it is possible to avoid the close-confinement of all sows.

Tuberculosis

Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a

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statement on the Government's long-term strategy to deal with tuberculosis; and how much she is planning to spend in each of the next three years on this. [19801]

Mr. Morley:
The Government's projected expenditure on TB for the years 200102, 200203, 200304 was published at Annexe A of the Reply by the Government to the First Report from the Agriculture Committee, Session 200001 (HC 92) and I refer the hon. Gentleman to that publication.

Future spending plans (for 200405) will not be finalised until the 2002 Spending Review has concluded next summer.

Livestock Farmers

Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to require all livestock farmers to be licensed; and if she will make a statement. [19604]

Mr. Morley:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) on 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 857W.

Farm Subsidies

Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) total and (b) average levels of subsidies to farmers were for (i) production and (ii) agri-environmental schemes in (1) 1996, (2) 1997, (3) 1998, (4) 1999, (5) 2000 and (6) 2001. [19233]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 November 2001]: The level of production related to subsidies and agri- environmental subsidies is given in the following table. Note that the estimates of the average per holding will mask a wide variation across holdings.

Figures for 2001 are not yet available and will be published in mid-March.

Subsidies paid to UK farmers: 19962000

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Total subsidies (£ million)

3,081

2,810

2,703

2,751

2,592

of which:

Production related subsidies(34)

2,996

2,707

2,571

2,585

2,399

Agri-environment schemes

85

103

132

166

193

Number of UK holdings (thousand)(35)

234

238

238

240

233

Average per holding (£)(36)

Total subsidies

13,149

11,824

11,360

11,481

11,111

of which:

Production related subsidies(34)

12,787

11,390

10,805

10,788

10,285

Agri-environment schemes

362

434

555

693

826

(34) Excludes public expenditure on indirect support eg intervention

(35) Excludes minor holdings for GB. For NI all active holdings are included. The trends in the series have been affected by register improvements over this period

(36) Calculated by dividing by the number of UK holdings (excluding minor holdings in GB and inactive holdings in NI)

Source:

Agriculture in the United Kingdom

CAP Spending

Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the (a) total level of CAP spending in Europe, (b) level of CAP spending in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other EU member states by different scheme and (c) proportion of CAP spending funded by (A) the United Kingdom and (B) other EU member states in each of the last 10 years. [19236]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 November 2001]: The level of CAP spending in Europe in the last 10 years is presented in the table.

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Total EAGGF guarantee section expenditure

Euro billion

1991

31.6

1992

31.3

1993

34.7

1994

33.4

1995

34.5

1996

39.1

1997

40.7

1998

38.7

1999

39.5

2000

40.4

These figures are sourced from the 30th Financial Report on the European Agricultural Guidance and

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Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), published by the European Commission.

The level of CAP spending in the United Kingdom and other EU member states by different scheme for 2000 is as follows. The breakdown of CAP spending by member state, by different scheme for previous years is available from the Financial Reports on the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund which are published annually by the European Commission.

The UK and other member states contribute to the budget as a whole and not to individual community spending programmes. The UK and other member states' gross contributions as a percentage of the total EC budget (after abatement) over the period 19912000 are given in the following table.